Birdsnest Coral STN

[sam00skelo]

Hi folks,

Happy Christmas! Hope everyone has had a lovely few days.
I've recently been battling with STN (I think) in my birdsnest coral.
It originally started in the trunk of the coral but has slowly gone into the branches of the coral.
I've been trying to directionally feed it with RedSea AB+ but that hasn't slowed the colour loss.

Is there any coming back from this?
I've had the coral for several months now, and it had been doing quite well other than getting tips broken (by my own clumsiness) and originally thought it was bleaching due to shadowing.
When I noticed the bleaching growing I did a 50% water change which I now realise wasn't the greatest idea.
I've also moved the coral when I thought it was shadowing.
Is there anything left I can try?

*Editing to include latest test results*
Alk: 8.3
Calcium: 415
Mag: 1300-1400
Nitrates: 5ppm
Phosphates: 0.248 (had gotten this down to 0.107 but they've jumped back up after I stopped dosing NoPox).

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Marc Pardon]

Do you have a picture? And how is the flow for this colony?

 

[sam00skelo]

Do you have a picture? And how is the flow for this colony?

Apologies for the delayed reply. See attached with some photobombers.
Flow should be quite high. I've two slw10s either side of my 80cm wide tank. Currents should meet about a small bit to the left of the colony.

 

[jda]

Double check all of your basics... heat probe with something with mercury or a laser, refractometer with fresh calibration fluid and make sure that you are very near to 35 ppt. Too much flow can be a problem, so make sure that what you have is indirect. Stop trying to directly "feed" it - you are not feeding it and you could be hurting it.

Are you feeding heavy? One of the largest mistakes that people make is to cut down on feeding the fish because they want to lower or change their N or P - they blame the NoPox, GFO, etc., but it was the cutting back on the feeding that likely did the damage.

If you need more opinions, then post what kind of lights and at what intensity.

Are you using any other supplements other than the big 3 (carbonate, calcium or magnesium)?

 

[sam00skelo]

Double check all of your basics... heat probe with something with mercury or a laser, refractometer with fresh calibration fluid and make sure that you are very near to 35 ppt. Too much flow can be a problem, so make sure that what you have is indirect. Stop trying to directly "feed" it - you are not feeding it and you could be hurting it.

Are you feeding heavy? One of the largest mistakes that people make is to cut down on feeding the fish because they want to lower or change their N or P - they blame the NoPox, GFO, etc., but it was the cutting back on the feeding that likely did the damage.

If you need more opinions, then post what kind of lights and at what intensity.

Are you using any other supplements other than the big 3 (carbonate, calcium or magnesium)?

Haven't changed any of the feeding habits. Half a block of frozen per day.
I shall try to move it lower into the tank. Think this is last chance saloon for it.
Lighting wise, it's the light that came with the aquanano tank. It's current position is probably the highest intensity possible in my tank.
I haven't moved onto any other supplements other than the big 3.

Thanks for your input.
Sam